Shingles Vaccine Safe for Adults

By Staff

US Pharm. 2012;37(5):1.

Atlanta, GA—A Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) study of more than
193,000 adults has found that the herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine is
generally safe and well tolerated. The VSD project, a collaborative
effort between the CDC and eight integrated care organizations, examined
adverse effects of the vaccine in adults aged 50 and older. Data were
retrieved from electronic health records. There was a small increased
risk of local reactions from 1 to 7 days after vaccination,
corroborating clinical trials of the vaccine in which there was evidence
of a minor local injection-site reaction (redness and pain).
Researchers found no increase in the risk of cerebrovascular diseases,
Bell’s palsy, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, or meningitis, encephalitis, or
encephalopathy.